Dear Columbia Alumni and Family,

We're excited to invite you to Lions Unplugged — a family-friendly weekend in Taitung built around the 2026 Taitung Expo, "Slow for Life." Think sunrise balloon flights, a private architecture walking tour, and two of the city's best tables, all in one relaxed, unplugged weekend.

Reserved first for Columbia alumni and their families.

RSVP by August 12: https://forms.gle/gaxMTnab5YhxoPZW9
After you RSVP, you'll receive a LINE group link for the event — please remember to join for more immediate communication.

Travel and accommodation are self-arranged and self-paid. Suggested hotels: Sheraton Taitung (beautiful property with a great sauna) or 路得行旅台東2館 Norden Ruder 2 (affordable, great design). All food costs to be shared depending on the final number of participants.

Questions: [email protected]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14 — Arrival

Getting There — book on your own.
Travel by train or flight, whichever suits.
If by train: suggested Taiwan Railway EMU3000 trains from Taipei.
Flight: Taipei Songshan → Taitung Airport (TTT), about 50 minutes, via UNI Air or Mandarin Airlines.

7:30PM Dinner — 拼經濟海鮮店
No. 200, Section 3, Siwei Rd, Xinsheng Village, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950
A Taitung institution for big, bold, fresh seafood — sashimi, salt-and-pepper squid, whatever's just come in. Loud, generous, and exactly where locals actually eat.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 — Expo Day

5:00AM — Hot Air Balloon Flight
Launch site: Luye Highland 鹿野高台. Organized with the help of ChingYu Yao (Sipa). Limited to 2–4 people — first come, first served, so RSVP quickly to reserve your place. About an hour from the main city area; transportation and cost are self-arranged.

10:30AM — Personal Walking Tour
A guided walk through two of JC. Architecture & Design's builds for this year's Expo:
Taitung Tree House — built over 300 days, framed in glue-laminated timber (GLT) engineered in Austria — a fully eco-sustainable construction, and now the largest timber structure in Taiwan.
這超台東：未來超市 — presented inside Taitung Tree House pavilion, curated in partnership with the team behind Slow Food Taitung and 左腦創意 (Left Brain Creative), with JC contributing to the design.

Afternoon — Taitung Expo 2026, "Slow for Life" (台東博覽會)
Official site: taitungexpo2026.com.tw
We'll arrange guided visits to a few more standout exhibitions — more details to come — including:
夢想東升 WALK IN 熱氣球 — an immersive installation recreating the sensation of a hot air balloon inflating and lifting into the sky, through light, sound, and space.
未來人孵化器 — an interactive playground where you become a "future traveler," collecting stats through phone challenges, puzzles, and balance games.
台東舊站 >> 台東線 — the old station's hundred-year love story with the railway and the city built around it.
凹！你是有的原住民文化展 — Indigenous soundscapes, traditional songs, and contemporary music woven together.

7:00PM Dinner — 深黑義法餐酒館
950, Taitung County, Taitung City, Guangming Village, 中興路二段191號
Inside the Taitung Sugar Factory Creative Park. Chef Chien-Hsun Chien brings French and Italian technique with an East Coast Taiwan twist: pickled-pepper cream pasta, crisp Taitung snails standing in for escargot. A relaxed evening of good food, wine, and conversation in one of Taitung's most atmospheric spaces.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 — More Expo + Side Trip

5:00AM — Hot Air Balloon Flight
Same as Saturday — launch site Luye Highland 鹿野高台, organized with ChingYu Yao (Sipa). Limited to 2–4 people, first come, first served, so RSVP quickly.

Morning
Continue through the Expo — the old station district rewards a slower second look.

Optional Personal Half-Day, Beyond the Expo
Inland: 池上伯朗大道 Brown Boulevard (bike the open rice-paddy road) — easy reach via train.
Coastal: 多良車站 Duoliang Railway Station ("the most beautiful station in Taiwan") — easy reach via train.

Departure
We suggest taking the last flight from Taitung Airport back to Taipei.

We hope you'll join us for this one — it's shaping up to be a memorable weekend.

Warmly,
Columbia Alumni Taiwan